Hopton Wood
Hopton Wood is a woodland area in Shropshire managed by Forestry England. It lies eight miles west of Craven Arms, off the B4385 road to Clun, and is adjacent to the village of Hopton Castle.[1] A car park is provided with the postcode SY7 0QF.[1] The site offers walking, a picnic area and three cycling trails that are largely unsurfaced, with conditions that vary according to weather and season.[1] There are no parking charges.[1]
The woodland contains several marked mountain-biking routes managed in partnership with Pearce Cycles of Ludlow.[2] These comprise a blue/moderate warm-up loop of 1.1 km, a red/difficult qualifier of 0.7 km, the red/difficult Pearce XC 12.6 km circular singletrack route featuring switchback climbs, flowing descents and technical downhills, and three black/severe Hopton Downhills between 1 and 1.4 km in length.[2] Some sections are shared with walkers, dogs and horses.[2]
Hopton Wood has hosted rounds of the British Downhill Series, including the final round of the 2017 series on 16 and 17 September 2017 and round four of the 2019 National Downhill Series on a different track.[3][4] A previous national downhill event at the site took place in 1999.[3] The 2017 round was the final event organised by the long-standing organiser of the series.[5] It is a classic British racing venue that has been hosting events for over 15 years.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Hopton Wood". Forestry England. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Mountain biking at Hopton Wood". Forestry England. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "British Downhill Series Final Course and Race Preview". More Dirt. September 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
- ↑ "MakingUpTheNumbers: National Downhill Series Round 4 – Hopton". Singletrack World. August 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
- ↑ "The Final Round". Dirt Mountain Bike. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
- ↑ "Thanks for everything. The final British Downhill Series at Hopton". Wideopen Magazine. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
